STRANDED SHIP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13602, 6 February 1915, Page 7

STRANDED SHIP.

ITALIAN VESSEL ON MUDBANK

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. The Italian full-rigged ship Ewasia, 1874 gross tons, commanded by Captain Francesso Clivari. went ashore on a mud flat fire miles south-west of the Thames wharf at 10 o'clock last night. The vessel left Auckland at 10 a.m. yesterday for Monte Video, and was clearly far out of her normal course. For this the captain blames his compasses. ■ The vessel now stands upright in soft mud at low tide, and is not considered to be in any danger, but it may be difficult to remove her from her position, as it was high tide, when she grounded. • ;

The Harbor Board's tug To Awhina left at 5 p.m. for the scene to endeavor to tow the Eurasia off. An attempt was to have been made at 11 o'clock tonight, when the tide would bo at its height. , ,

The Eurasia, which is bwhed by Giuseppe Mortola Fu Giambattista/ of San Rocco, Camogli, Italy, and was built at Greenoch .in 1886, arrived in Wellington about August with a cargo of Marseilles tiles for New Zealand. After discharge of her Wellington cargo, the veswl left for Auckland with a balance of about 300,000 tiles, arriving here on November 7. As no qharler was forthcoming, the Eurasia, was towed to an anchorage in the stream early., iii December, where she remained until her departure from Auckland* yesterday. She was towed out by the tug Te Awhina to the neighborhood of Tiri Tiri. There was a fresh westerly breeae, and, after the pilot had left, tho Eiurasia' headed for Cape Colville and the Great Barrier with most of 'her sails set. The wind was directly in favor of her proceeding, direct to sea. At 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon the Westralia, ' from southern ports, passed the Eimrasia in the Hauraki Gulf. The ship was observed to be under most of her sails, close hauled on the port tack, and headed towards Cape Colvil'.e. The officers of the Westralia expressed some surprise that the ship should be so far in towards the Firtn of Thames.-

Two hours later Captain Beach, of the Northern Company's lighter Victory, passed the Eurasia well down towards Thames. Captain Beach could see that the shin was well out of her course and heading for /Thames. Captain Olivari came to Auckland by the Wakatere, and, immediately before he left in the tuig Te Awhina for the scene of the mishap, a reporter asked him how the accident occurred.

The captain said that be tvas completely misguided by his compasses. They were of a well-known, make and had been regularly adjusted. He, steered N.N.E., as he thought, but discovered too late that the compasses were faulty. The vessel has a very sharp keel/ and is well down in the soft mud, but has sustained no damage whatever.

The crew are still on board and are quit© comfortable.